Arctic Amplification

Ice-albedo feedback, lapse rate, and polar vortex weakening

+1.5°C
1.0×
1.0×
+0°C
Arctic ΔT
0.0×
Amplification
100%
Sea Ice Extent
0.65
Arctic Albedo
Arctic warms 3–4× faster than the global mean due to multiple feedbacks: (1) Ice-albedo: melting ice exposes dark ocean, absorbing more SW radiation. (2) Lapse rate: polar atmosphere warms more at surface (trapped heat), tropical atmosphere warms aloft. (3) Polar vortex weakening: reduced temperature gradient weakens the stratospheric vortex, allowing cold Arctic air to spill southward — "Wavy jet stream" pattern.